Presumptive Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden’s search for a running mate suffered a major shake-up this weekend.
Violent protests and looting after the police killing of George Floyd ignited across the country, raising questions about Biden’s potential running mates with law-and-order backgrounds. The unrest has also intensified pressure on Biden to select a black woman, insiders say.
Insiders say, for example, that the outcry over police relationships with minorities has complicated the prospects of Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, who had a controversial record as a prosecutor in the city where Floyd died.
Biden’s choice of a running mate will be among the most consequential decisions he makes in the campaign, particularly given that the 77-year-old is already talking about himself as a “transition” candidate to a new generation of Democratic leaders.
Even before the outcry over Floyd’s death, some Biden allies were already urging him to put a black woman on the ticket given the critical role African Americans played in his path to the Democratic nomination. Those calls have gotten louder in recent days.
Biden was pressed to pick a black woman on Monday when he visited a black church in Wilmington, Delaware.
“A black female will overwhelm and excite and turn the heads of these young people and everybody out there,” an attendee told Biden, referring to those demonstrating in the streets.
Beyond Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, Biden is believed to be considering California Sen. Kamala Harris, Florida Rep. Val Demings and Stacey Abrams, the Georgia Democrat and voting rights activist.
In an interview Sunday, Demings declined to answer directly when asked if the events of the past week increased pressure on Biden to choose a black woman.
“Well, we’ve never seen a black woman selected as a vice presidential candidate,” she said. “But I think the American people want someone who cares about their issues and are willing to move the ball forward.”
Politicians with law-and-order backgrounds have been viewed skeptically by some in the Democratic Party.
Demings, a former Orlando police chief, defended herself and other potential contenders with such backgrounds, declaring “you’re either gonna be part of the problem or part of the solution.”
“The community wants people who understand the system from the inside out in order to bring real life necessary reforms,” she said.
Harris faced criticism throughout her Democratic primary campaign for her record as a prosecutor and attorney general in California, when she resisted reforms that would have required her office to investigate killings by police and established statewide standards for body cameras.
Former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid suggested a resume as a prosecutor could be problematic for potential contenders.
“Prosecutors are not very popular, especially among young people now,” he said. “I’ve got a granddaughter who is graduating from law school and she wants to be a public defender. She doesn’t want to be a prosecutor. And I think a lot of younger people feel the same.”
Klobuchar, who also sought the Democratic nomination, has faced questions about her eight years as prosecutor for Minnesota’s largest county during the primary. Most of the more than two dozen people who died during police encounters in her tenure were people of color.
One of the officers involved in an incident was Derek Chauvin, who was arrested and charged Friday with Floyd’s murder.
Since ending her campaign, Klobuchar has emerged as a key Biden surrogate and some Democrats see her as a running mate who could help him appeal to some of the white, working-class voters who turned against the party in the 2016 election. Yet some Democrats say the renewed focus on police brutality could complicate her path.
“This is very tough timing for her,” said Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C., a top Biden ally.
Klobuchar has said that she is confident Biden will make the right choice and that she’s not thinking about politics right now.
Biden has said he will announce a running mate by Aug. 1, a timeline that leaves plenty of time for the national mood to shift again, particularly as the coronavirus pandemic and resulting economic collapse pressed on.
Biden’s search process is still in a relatively early phase. A search committee has been meeting with establishment power players on the left, with special attention to Democratic leaders on Capitol Hill and across organized labor. Biden, who has largely been shuttered in his home in Delaware during the pandemic, would also like to conduct in person meetings with finalists.
“It’s important for him to see the candidate, talk to the candidate, get body language from the candidate. And I don’t mean one time. I think it needs to be several times,” said Cedric Richmond, a Louisiana congressman and campaign co-chair.
The Associated Press contributed to this article